Admit it. You're just like me. You judge a book by its cover too. So you might also have put off reading Dogs We Love
by Michael J. Rosen until you were wiped out by a cold and stuck in bed with nothing to read.
What's wrong with its cover? The cute dog and the word "love" tell me that within the pages of this book somebody's dog dies. And, looking more closely, I see that it is a compilation of 18 writers talking about the dogs they love, so I calculate there could be as many as 18 dog deaths. No way. I am not reading this book. Just like I will probably never read Marley & Me or The Art of Racing in the Rain.
Well, I read it. And guess what? You really should not judge a book by its cover. Or, if you do, read the fine print. By doing so, you'll see that the writers are literary powerhouses, people like Jane Smiley, Edward Albee, Armistead Maupin, and Ann Beattie, among others, who do with words what the greatest artists I feature on this site do with color, line, texture and composition. They show us what it's like to wildly, passionately love a dog.
I don't want to give anything away about the pieces, but know that the work is beautiful and brilliant. As you read each one, you are reminded of the individuality of every dog you've ever known. And, you lose yourself in the magic of dog love. For me, that meant not just enjoying the funny, poignant stories of dogs and their owners, but somehow falling more deeply in love with my own dog – if that could even be possible. It was like stumbling into a secret society that revels in all things dog, not on a scientific (boring) or elegiac (maudlin) level, but in an unbridled, joyful way that hit just the right note for me.
Complied by Michael J. Rosen, whose introduction is absolutely wonderful and speaks to his own talent as a poet and writer (of over 65 books), Dogs We Love is also a book that gives back to the dogs we love. All profits go to Rosen's grant program, The Company of Animals Fund, that supports animal welfare agencies throughout the country.
Last but not least, the book is filled with Robin Schwartz's charming B & W photography (pictured here), as sweet and funny as the dog tales told are.
Father's Day is June 15. If your dad is a literary minded dog-lover, Dogs We Love, is the pick of the litter!
Click here to order it today.
And don't forget to stop by Micheal J. Rosen's website to learn more about this fascinating writer, editor, illustrator, fidosopher, philanthropist, and cook.
P.S. If this book sounds familiar, it is a smaller version of Dog People, offered at the nicer price.
